Macrophytes play critical ecological role in inland
water bodies, especially in shallow systems. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an invasive
plant species introduced to Ethiopian water bodies around the mid 20th century with recently exacerbated devastating ecological and economic
consequences. Here we report the impact of the invasive plant species on
macrophyte species assemblage and biodiversity in Lake Abaya, southwestern
Ethiopia. We compared four sites in Lake Abaya, two hyacinth infested and two
non-infested, each site consisting of 15 plots. Our results showed that water
hyacinth affects the macrophyte community composition, abundance and diversity
negatively. Even though some macrophyte species from the Poaceae and Cyperaceae
families appear to coexist with the alien plant, the invasive species has
reduced macrophyte abundance and diversity at the infested sites, and in some
cases changed the community to nearly monotypic flora. Our data affirm that
water hyacinth has the potential to alter macrophyte composition, abundance and
diversity in the wider Ethiopian aquatic ecosystems. A broad & closer,
systematic and comprehensive look at the short and long term consequences of
its expanding invasion within the framework of specific local environmental,
ecological and societal conditions is long-overdue.
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